Quick answer
You burn bodies in a Crematorium built in the Morgue. Unlock Body Places I, build Crematorium I for 6 Brick + 6 Bronze Detail, and load a corpse: it burns by itself and gives the corpse's burial certificate, Ash and Salt.[1][2] You do not spend energy while it burns.[1]
Crematorium tiers
| Crematorium I | Crematorium II | |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Body Places I | Body Places II |
| Build cost | 6 Brick, 6 Bronze Detail | 12 Brick, 8 Advanced Detail |
| Burn time per corpse | 2:00 | 1:15 |
| Output | 5 Ash, 1 Salt, burial certificate, tech points | 7 Ash, 2 Salt, burial certificate, tech points |
| With the Cremator perk | 10 Ash, 2 Salt | 14 Ash, 4 Salt |
All figures from Wikily's cremation page.[1] No fuel is listed for either tier.[1]
Step by step
- Research Body Places I.[1][2]
- Build Crematorium I in the Morgue (6 Brick, 6 Bronze Detail).[1][2]
- Carry a corpse to it and load it. The burn runs on its own.[1]
- Collect the results: the certificate, Ash, Salt, plus red and blue tech points and progress on the Corpse Burner inspiration.[1]
- Sell the certificate. Burial certificates are worth 1 to 5 silver; Januarius at the tavern buys them.[1][2]
Which bodies to burn
Game Rant's advice for "bad" corpses: do the autopsy first to remove red skulls and possibly improve the body, and cremate if it is still not worth burying.[2]
| Option | Reward | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Crematorium | Certificate + Ash + Salt + tech points | Default for bodies you will not bury[1][2] |
| Throw it in the river near the graveyard | Nothing, no certificate | Only to clear space fast before you have a crematorium[2] |
| Turn it into a zombie | A worker | After meeting the Plague Doctor; red skulls actually help here[2] |
If you plan to make zombies, do not burn bodies with red skulls; each red skull becomes a perk slot on the zombie (up to the collar's cap).[3] See Prepare the Resurrection Table.
What to do with the Ash
- Ink: 1 Ash + 1 Water + 1 Melted Fat at the Writing Desk, needed for Science Kits.[4] See how to get Science.
- Urns: 3 Ash + a Clay Urn at the Formulation Bench makes Urn with Ashes I.[1][5]
- Columbarium: holds 8 urns and adds graveyard quality (+12 or +20).[1] Useful for Graveyard Quality 20.
Common problems
- No crematorium in the Morgue blueprint list: Body Places I is not researched yet.[1]
- "Where do I sell certificates?" To Januarius at the tavern.[2]
Related guides
Sources & References
- Cremation: crematoriums, ash, certificates and urns, Wikily ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
- What to Do With Bad Bodies in Graveyard Keeper 2, Game Rant (Umama Ali) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Zombies: resurrection, collars, perks and jobs, Wikily ↩
- How to Get Science Points in Graveyard Keeper 2, Prima Games (Hadley Vincent) ↩
- Formulation Bench: recipes and build cost, Wikily ↩